Community leader calls current events the 2nd wave of the civil rights movement

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) – Everett McCorvey grew up in Montgomery, Alabama during the civil rights movement in the late 60s and early 70s and now lives in Lexington.

He said the current protests and the frustration he’s seeing feels like the second wave of the civil rights movement.

“One of the frustrating things is you realize the people who were alive during the civil rights. You know, they’re saying to themselves, ‘I feel like I’m reliving this all over again.'” McCorvey said. “You have things like the Birmingham bombings, kids were killed in the 60s as they are being killed, now. And so, I mean it’s, it feels like we are we are reliving that.”

McCorvey is the Director of Opera at the University of Kentucky and has a Doctorate of Musical Arts. Aside from his connection to the university, he’s also a community leader. For a more on Dr. McCorvey click here.

McCorvey said he told his youth group from church, change can happen one person at a time.

“You look at some situations and they look so big and so threatening that you feel that there’s not a way to find a resolution, but we have to start one person at a time,” he said. “You know, I challenge everyone to go out and to display an act of kindness to to one person because you never know how that act of kindness to one person will have a trickle down effect to other people, but that’s how we start.”

He said he also urges the younger generation to get out and vote, because it’s the next group of people that can help push for action.

McCorvey is a father to three kids and said every time his son leaves the house in a hoodie, he says a prayer his safety.

A prayer that what happened to George Floyd doesn’t happen to his son.

“I think that every persons of color, I think that’s their prayer, every time their son leaves the house, it’s sickening to see that,” McCorvey said. “And it’s sickening to know that there are people in positions of power who allow that sort of thing to happen.”

He added he also understands there can be a bad apple that ruins the reputation of all the rest.

“We’re still struggling with civil rights for all. And this is just another manifestation of the challenges that we’re having in our country, to try to find the right solution so that the all people are welcome at the table,” McCorvey said.